SWRO is reverse osmosis applied to seawater (typically 30,000–45,000 ppm TDS). Because feed salinity is so high, SWRO requires 55–70 bar operating pressure, super-duplex or titanium wetted materials, and an energy-recovery device to be economically viable. Seawater is filtered to ≤5 SDI, dosed with antiscalant, and pressurized through a high-pressure piston or multistage centrifugal pump. The membrane array (typically spiral-wound 8" elements in 7-element vessels) recovers 35–45% of feed as permeate; the brine drives an energy-recovery device. SWRO produces 60%+ of the world's desalinated water — from 200 GPD yacht watermakers to multi-million GPD municipal plants. It is the standard for islands, coastal hotels, mining camps, military bases, and arid coastal cities. Standard SWRO operates at 35–45% recovery. Higher recovery raises brine osmotic pressure and risks scaling; lower recovery wastes feed and energy. Containerized SWRO ranges from $25,000 for 1,000 GPD up to $1.5M+ for 100,000 GPD industrial units. Cost per GPD drops sharply with scale. FilmTec SW30HR, Hydranautics SWC, and Toray TM820 are the dominant 8" spiral-wound SWRO membranes, all rated for 99.7%+ salt rejection at 32,000 ppm NaCl feed. ForeverPure has supplied desalination, high-pressure pumps, and energy-recovery devices to commercial and industrial customers since 2003. Contact our engineers for sizing, quotes, or technical support.SWRO (Seawater Reverse Osmosis) (SWRO)
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